This weekend, Las Vegas will host the fourth edition of When We Were Young. A festival celebrating the scene out in the desert holds more than you’ve bargained for as 53 bands take on 4 stages in 1 day. A whirlwind for every pair of vans and fishnets in the pit, it’s Christmas in October for many. A sold out crowd of 85,000 awaits Panic! At the Disco’s return along with a catalogue of alternative favorites sharing the bill including blink-182 and Weezer. Here is your stage by stage preview of When We Were Young 2025.
Allianz Stage
One of the first bands of the day is recent Iowa City visitors Arm’s Length. These Canadian DIY stars have been making waves since their debut record ”Never Before Seen, Never Again Found” in 2022. They’ve toured with the likes of Silverstein, The Wonder Years and will be opening up for Hot Mulligan later this fall. They released their second record “There’s A Whole World Out There” in May and will continue their busy stretch in the Europe next year. They play bright and early at 11:50.
California punks DRAIN will make an appearance at 1:35 as a stop on their tour supporting fellow WWWY players Khublai Khan TX. On November 7th, they’ll be dropping their latest LP “… IS YOUR FRIEND” through Epitaph Records. Their loud and brash sound lead to memorable pits and plenty of crowd surfing. Make sure to stretch before this set.
Right next door to where I grew up, The Plain White T’s have been making music for 28 years. Starting in the Chicago suburb of Lombard, Illinois, Tom Higgins started writing tunes and would later churn out hits like “Rhythm of Love” and “Hey There Delilah”. Their latest record, bearing the same name as their band, mixed their punk upbringings with the acoustic guitars that brought them fame. You can listen to their 2023 record “Plain White T’s” here and catch them at 2:45.
PVRIS has become a mainstay in the alternative music world after their hit debut album “White Noise”. Lynn Gunn has dug her heels in opening up for the likes of Fall Out Boy, The Smashing Pumpkins, Linkin Park and many more. After 2023’s “EVERGREEN” hit shelves, Gunn has continued to release music with “F.I.L.T.H.” released in 2024. Her most recent release was a rerecord of “My House” with Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox this past February. PVRIS plays at 3:20.
Later on in the evening, Loathe will be taking the stage at 7:25 as their first dates of a hefty 28 date U.S. headline tour with Trauma Ray and Spy. The English metal band have been climbing up the ladder quickly getting opening slots for fellow When We Were Young players Knocked Loose in 2024. Loathe just release their latest single, “Gifted Every Strength” in May of this year.
A personal favorite of mine, Jack’s Mannequin, plays the Allianz Stage at 8:00. One of Andrew McMahon’s projects, Jack’s Mannequin stands out amongst the rest with it’s piano led compositions. McMahon, of Something Corporate and Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness fame, has been busy reuniting with his groups touring with Something Corporate in 2024 for the first time in 14 years. Jacks Mannequin also made its long awaited return with their first gig in Las Vegas since 2011. You can see a full list of their tour dates here.
If you’re searching for mosh pits this weekend, look no further than the final acts on the Allianz Stage. Kublai Khan TX has engulfed the metalcore scene since their debut in 2009, and have not slowed down. Dropping 5 full length LP’s and a collection of EP’s throughout the past 16 years, the Texas stars released their most recent single, “The Moment of Corsicana” in September. Kublai Khan TX plays at 9:45. The final act of the night is an absolute treat as well. Members of Gulch, Hands of God, Spinebreaker, Lead Dream, and fellow When We Were Young players DRAIN all joined forces in 2019 to create the hardcore outfit SUNAMI. Hailing from San Jose, SUNAMI has been touring what feels non stop for the past 4 years hitting North America, Europe, Asia and Australia throughout the years. They released their first full length LP, “SUNAMI LP”, in 2023 and will headline the Allianz Stage at 10:20.
Ghost Stage
The Ghost Stage will be hosting 18 bands throughout the day, including pop punk favorites The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and We the Kings. Playing at 12:10 and 2:30 respectively, these Warped Tour alum are known for their high energy performances and pumping out the same energy they have been dishing out for almost 2 decades.
At 3:05, The Cab make their long awaited return after an 11 year hiatus and 14 years since their most recent Las Vegas gig. Their first music since the break, “Road to Reign: A Prelude” was released on September 26th this year. They have been making the rounds since their return, embarking on a tour with fellow WWWY players Mayday Parade and All Time Low. WWWY alum The Paradox are also on the tour, and they will be playing a show with Hawthorne Heights, Plain White T’s, and more at The Strat in Las Vegas on Oct 17th.
The Maine are a southwest emo band that doesn’t have to travel far to Vegas from their home of Tempe, Arizona. They are working on their 10th record now after dropping one unreleased song from each previous album entitled “Dyed (2008-2023)”. Following The Maine who play at 4:15 is The Gaslight Anthem, who just wrapped up a lengthy summer tour with Counting Crows. Since returning from their hiatus in 2022, The Gaslight Anthem have released the album “History Books” with frontman Brain Fallon sharing vocal duties with Bruce Springsteen on the title track. The Gaslight Anthem plays at 4:50.
Keeping up their busy year, Bad Religion will hit the Ghost Stage at 5:25. When We Were Young are the bands final dates of the year before sharing the stage with The Offspring this winter throughout the northern U.S. and Canada. Year 45 of the band has shown no signs of slowly down with their performances still holding youthful punk energy they have always had.
Taking Back Sunday makes their third appearance at When We Were Young at 6:45 on the Ghost Stage. Following a sideshow with letlive. and Straylight Run on Friday night, Adam Lazzara will lead the band in one of their first gigs since their summer tour with Coheed and Cambria and Foxing. Taking Back Sunday’s 2023 record “152” was the bands first in 7 years, marking their territory as active scene legends who have rightfully earned back to back appearances at this festival.
Pink Stage
Entering year 10 of Destroy Boys, Alexia Roditis and Violet Mayugba have delivered time and time again. After 2024’s “Funeral Soundtrack #4” that received a 4/5 from Kerrang!, they have only continued their live presence touring with likes of Pierce the Veil and blink-182. The final North American dates of the year, Destroy Boys are a great way to start your day at 12:20
Continuing their year of festivals, Knocked Loose will play the Pink Stage at 4:05. The Louisville natives will travel to Las Vegas before they embark on an Australian tour in December. Knocked Loose’s 2024 “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To” accelerated their path to stardom, earning them a Grammy nomination for the single “Suffocate” featuring Poppy. Knocked Loose will appear in front of European’s eyes as they open for Metallica next summer, and they will be in front of your eyes on the Pink Stage at 4:05.
The Used are in the midst of a landmark year for the band. In celebration of 25 years as a band, Bert McCracken and company have taken up residencies for three nights at venues throughout this year. Each night, playing either “Self Titled”, “In Love and Death”, or “Lies for the Liars” in full along with a rotating selection of hits from their other records. A feat that very few bands have the catalogue to pursue this, and the fans fill up the same venue three nights in a row. The western natives’ third appearance and second consecutive showing at When We Were Young at 5:25.
Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker come back to When We Were Young to headline for the second time. With their previous appearance coming off the heels of the most recent record “ONE MORE TIME…”, the trio that makes up blink-182 has been playing a wide pool of songs off their 10 albums in 2025. This includes a half dozen tunes from my personal favorite record “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket”. These are the final dates of the year and of their “Missionary Impossible” tour for blink. They took out a wide variety of bands on their tour including Scowl, End It, and Drug Church. Showcasing these up and coming bands to their wide audience is an amazing thing to see. blink-182 will headline the Pink Stage at 8:25
7-Eleven Stage
Mayday Parade carries on with their busy year at 12:55. A band like Mayday Parade this early in the day is a sure-fire way to get people in the door fast. After wrapping up a tour with fellow When We Were Young players Jack’s Mannequin, and in the midst of their current slot supporting All Time Low along with The Cab, Mayday Parade put out 2 records this year “Sweet” and “Sad”. Continuing their streak of exceptional releases Derek Sanders, Alex Garcia, Brooks Betts, Jeremy Lenzo, and Jake Bundrick push like very few do after 2 decades.
If you are in search of dozens of people in Scooby-Doo onesies, you should make your way to the 7-Eleven stage at 3:25. Boasting a catalog of favorites that you’ve heard for years, Simple Plan make their third consecutive appearance at When We Were Young. Even with “no pads and helmets”, the pit for the Montreal Natives is a great spot to find yourself in the afternoon.
Coming through Des Moines on October 29th, All Time Low will continue their “Everyone’s Talking!” tour at When We Were Young. Jumping headfirst into the scene in 2007 with “Dear Maria, Count Me In” off “So Wrong, It’s Right”, there is no denying their star power at the festival and in the pop punk world. Dropping a brand new album, sharing the same name of their tour, the day before the festival leaves me with hope to hear some brand new tracks from the Maryland favorites at 4:45.
269 miles southwest of Las Vegas, The Offspring began in 1984. Coming out of Garden Grove, California, Dexter Holland and Kevin John Wasserman, better known as Noodles, started jamming playing under the name Manic Subsidal. After 2 years and a name change, there was no stopping them. Releasing 11 studio records, including their latest in 2024 with “Supercharged”, The Offspring continue to put out great music and memorable live shows. On their most recent tour, Noodles and company paid tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne with snippets of “Electric Funeral”, “Paranoid”, and “Crazy Train”. The Offspring will take the stage at 6:05
Weezer. I can’t get enough of Weezer. Creating quality tunes since 1994, Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bell, and Matt Sharp have all combined to be one of the most successful bands of the past 30 years. After wrapping up their final show of the “Voyage to the Blue Planet” tour in September, Weezer will play their last North American dates of the year. After sending out multiple videos teasing album 20 in the past month, the California based band will jump through their collection of hits at 7:35. They are always a cant miss set.
The long-awaited return of Panic! At the Disco is upon us. Nearly 3 years after their last US gig, Brendan Urie will return to the stage in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada playing “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” in full. Promising a set containing of the seminal debut album and more, there is nowhere else anyone in the scene would rather be. Holding enough time for the record and some hits afterwords, the anticipation is high for the first glimpse of Panic! in years. Returning to the record that made so many people fall in love with not only the band, but the scene, will be a joy to witness. Panic! At the Disco will close out When We Were Young at 10:00.
When We Were Young 2025 is here. One day filled with all of my favorite bands, what more could a guy ask for. Tickets for Sunday are still available here. Stay tuned with KRUI for interviews from the festival and a recap of this incredible festival. Listen to Downey’s Hour on KRUI 89.7fm, Monday nights 9-11, for your latest music festival news!
